About Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Resources
Primary Sources
Primary sources have not been critiqued, analyzed, or altered. Many primary source documents and creative works are from the time of the event. However, other primary sources, like memoirs or interviews, can exist as primary materials after the event.
Examples of primary source materials vary by discipline. Primary sources in the physical and social sciences include original research studies and data sets, like census information, in their raw, unanalyzed state. Original artwork, music, movies, and literature constitute primary sources in the arts. Historic speeches, personal letters, maps, and government documents are also primary materials.
Examples of Primary Sources available at John B. Cade Library are archival documents containing SU History in the Archives Department located on the 3rd floor of the John B. Cade Library and electronically in the Archives Online repository.
- Click here to review the Archives Department Website.
- Click here to browse the Archives Online Repository.
Secondary Sources
Secondary materials provide commentary, analysis, and discussion of a primary event, idea, or work. Written by experts, they address the subject from a historical or critical perspective.
Secondary materials may also exist as primary and secondary sources, so it can be challenging to discern the differences. For example, a newspaper article reporting on a current event would be primary material, though an article from the same newspaper commenting on the same current event is secondary.
Every academic discipline has secondary sources. Examples include a history book, literature criticism, subject encyclopedias, and articles that review existing research.
Tertiary Sources
Tertiary materials compile, index, or organize information from primary and secondary sources, often to provide an overview of a topic. This type of material rarely contains original material. Tertiary materials are usually a good source of data and facts presented with context to help you interpret a topic. They provide a broad perspective without any critique or points of view related to the topic. They may also act as a directory to other important primary or secondary sources identified in bibliography, works cited, or reference list.
Groups of authors - sometimes not identified by name – often write the content of many tertiary materials. Editors then review and organize the material before publication.
Examples of tertiary materials include abstracts, textbooks, almanacs, bibliographies, encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories or handbooks. Wikipedia is an example of a tertiary web source.
